Christmas Eve: Meeting the Krampus
by The Nickname
Summary: Just a short story I wrote detailing the first ever interaction between Santa Claus and Krampus. Based on my interpretation of the Krampus' appearance, I decided to create a backstory for him and why he is a goat creature. Rated Kplus for suggestive themes. Please leave a comment.


There are a many reasons to provide charity in this world, and a many more for one to resist their will to provide to those less fortunate. Reason can be of selfishness such as greed and a thirst for undeserved power, but to provide charity shares its own reasons of selfishness and desire for power. Few remember the greatest, most noble and most moral of reasons to provide towards those and expect naught in return.

That being no reason at all.

One man had known this in his life and used it to drive him in his eternal quest to bring charity and kindness to the world. Ever since his youth, he had strived to bring great gifts to those that had earned them, to do his part in showing the world that the will to do good is entirely indomitable. Even in the small and quaint task of providing toys and presents to children and families, he takes great pride in seeing justice maintained in defiance of the cruel and spiteful.

But soon, he would soon be faced with justice of another nature.

On the 24th of December, the great craftsman by the name of Kris Kringle headed out on a long and arduous journey across the frozen landscape of Switzerland. He drove a large, wooden sleigh drawn by half a dozen reindeer, all of which diligently continued their efforts in spite of their exhaustion. The cold winds and faint snowfall would soon escalate into a barbaric snowstorm, and any whom would find themselves exposed to such a fate would likely not survive.

And yet, driven by his tenacity, the sleigh continued along the road as a distant town emerged from the darkness of the night.

However, along the frozen path to their salvation, a dark figure was spotted along the outer edges of their route, likely seeking similar salvation within the yonder settlement. Kringle watched the figure as the sleigh neared, contemplating the chances that this poor soul would have of reaching the town before the heinous cold would take its toll. Warm-heartedly, he settled on his option and decided to grant assistance to this stranger.

After a brief time, Kringle finally intercepted the cloaked figure, the two of them stopping to express their acknowledgement of the other's presence. "Traveller! Seek refuge upon my sleigh from this bitter cold" Kringle called from his rest, "I shall offer food and warmth". The stranger was silent for a moment, unmoving. He slowly turned his head and rested his gaze upon his consultant, his thoughts and features inscrutable to the bearded pilgrim. He spoke with a hoarse and deep tone "I can survive without assistance. I have for many winters, Mr. Kringle".

Kringle was taken aback, astonished by this unexpected turn of events. From it, his expression turned to one of suspicion and curiosity, he asked with a lowered head and an upward glare "How have you come to know the namesake of a stranger?" The dark figure then turned his whole body to face the man and his reindeer-drawn sleigh, granting his undivided attention. Kringle reached for his lantern and held it before him, the light shining upon stranger's form as his hood continued to hide his face in shadow.

"Many of all ages and cultures know of you and your deeds, Mr. Kringle" the stranger began as he stood motionless, "Your reputation has spread to my ears". The demon turned away and raised his arms in the air, his hands exposed from below the wrist for the toymaker to view. Kringle's eyebrow rose in confusion upon the sight of one of this stranger's hands, as it more resembled the silhouetted shape a pincer.

"Your love and compassion upon children. Your devotion to joy in the world" the stranger continued, frustration slowly leaking into his tone as his fists clenched, "Pure ignorance". The stranger's arms dropped to his side as he lowered his head, "Poor fool". His head slowly turned to vaguely face man in red as he snarled "There can only exist darkness in the joyous of heart". Irritation and a will to defend his honour compelled Kringle to raise his lantern higher in the air and demand in a bellowing call "Step forth into the light. I wish to know who you are".

With a disgruntled huff, the stranger nodded and answered shallowly "As you wish". With that, his arms began emerging from his cloak, each hand gripping the fabric of his cloak. In one swift motion, he pulled the corners of his cloak apart and exposed what lay beneath for the elderly toymaker to see. With his cloak remaining unmoving behind his shoulders, the stranger then held either side of his hood and drew it back to reveal his mysterious features. Kringle had known not what to expect, but naught could prepare him for the horror that would come to assault his sights.

What lay before the humble craftsman was not a natural occurrence, much less a human being of a generalised description. Instead what lay before him was akin to what one would call a monster. Amidst a mess of disorganised human features were several limbs and portions that would better suit a goat. With a cloven hoof for a left foot, a single hooved finger and thumb for a hand and a long hairy tail, his body was an abomination formed from the regions of a man and a goat.

Hidden amongst the man's minimal human features was a pair of misshapen horns, a blackened left eye, an animal's snout and a long, repulsive tongue. "I named myself… Krampus" the hideous monster snarled, his mouth twisting into a sinister, yet mysteriously callous grin. With arms raised in a pose befitting a performer passively demanding applause, "Look upon my form, ye of compassion! Does my form repulse you?"

Only now beginning to recover from his initial fright, range and disgust clung to Kringle's words; "Explain yourself. What is the nature of this… affliction?" With his single fist clenched, Krampus answered with a flick if his serpentine tongue, "Unknown to thee of virtue and peace art the sins of the unseen". Kringle, within his overwhelming repulse, found himself intrigued by the wisdom and sophistication found in this beast's words.

"Ignorance of evil from within the walls created me" Krampus began, his arms descending to sit before his face as he gazed upon them. "My family committed a crime against nature, the only true law in our world…" he snarled with bitter rage, possible spawned from memories of which he had described, "…to which I was punished". Krampus turned from the toymaker and clenched his fist, unable to contain the pure hatred he had contained within his heart and soul.

"Raised only by the harsh mistress nature…" he began as he turned to view his consultant, "abandoned by my gods to suffer alone…". Kringle watched him as he fell silent, the Krampus standing tall and visibly restoring his composure. "I have seen much in the years I have endured…" he spoke softly, slowly turning once again to face the craftsman and raise a pointed finger towards him accusingly, "…to which I've come to despise you".

Unprepared for this sudden and very personal shift in topic, Kringle was left confused by Krampus' final words. He questioned attentively "What would invoke such hatred for me?" From this inquiry, Krampus' rage resurfaced, "You're ignorance". The goat man stepped forward in a defiant stance, stirring the reindeer into an unnerved fit as he approached. Kris sought to calming his reindeer as Krampus simply observed his efforts, the craftsman exhaling after finally rendering the reindeer docile.

"You're ignorance" he repeated, "Ignorance of the true nature of the world you strive within". Once again confused and irritated by these accusations, Kringle stepped down from his sleigh and stood before Krampus. Standing proudly and defiantly before this accuser, he replied "My intentions are towards the joy and prosperity of youth".

"Wrong" Krampus lectured with a sneer curling his lip, "Joy brings naught but ignorance". Ignorance. What madness flooded the air from this creature and penetrated his ears; Kringle refused to believe such a thing. Raising his hands in an exemplary gesture, he explained "Those who achieve joy disregard the suffering and misery of others…". He paused before finishing his sentence as he lowered his head with a sinister glare, "…as you yourself have, ye of charity".

The confusion and lack of common sense continued to leave the craftsman at a loss for words. "Your fate is not my responsibility" he stated in a perplexed manner, though he would not receive a response from this creature he could've expected. A smile crept onto Krampus' face as he began snickering under his breath. He open his eyes and peered at the toymaker with malevolence, "…nor are the fates of other children in the world".

With furrowed eyebrows and a sharp huff, Kringle considered Krampus' response and asked "What are you suggesting?" Krampus' nostrils flared in an expression of displeasure, "I have witnessed lives from afar" he spoke. He raised his left hands and stared into his open palm whilst Kringle did also.

"Children finding joy and shelter from the world and its provocations" he spat hatefully, once again allowing the kind of heart to witness the ferocity of the wicked. After a silence, he continued "Children to whom success is fed by their parents" as his fists clenched and his teeth were bared before Kringle to view". In a final example of his rage, he roared "Children whom remain blissfully unaware to life's cruelty". Krampus fell silent as his bowed his head in contemplation, before he once again glared into the craftsman's horrified eyes.

"But not for long".

Kris Kringle had heard enough of this evil, and shouted in a mixture of both astonishment and outrage. "You plot to harm children!?" His words proved to only further provoke the already aggressive fiend as he clenched his fists and ground his teeth. The goat man bellowed "Pain! Pain and Cruelty" as he stood in readiness against the fury of his consultant, "They will experience those and the like".

But unexpectedly, reason seeped into this confrontation as the beast concluded "Only then can they appreciate their lives and their imperfections". Krampus turned his gaze away from them man and explained with anger barely restrained "Parents believe that their children can prosper through mere pleasure". He snorted at the notion and continued "They are slothful and conceited to believe so". He swatted his open had away to demonstrate his disregard for such a philosophy.

"But were the child to suffer…" Krampus' breath quickened with what could only be declared "…or to be lost to them…". Krampus sighed in satisfaction as he contemplated his conclusion, "then they would see the truth". Retaining little faith in the intentions of this vile creature, Kringle persevered in his search for justice in this otherwise evil plot and asked with hope in his heart "What truth is that?"

Sorrow filled the goat man's eyes as it further fuelled the fire of the Krampus' fury, "My parents committed a crime, to which I was punished". With a sudden hiss, he turned to face the benign pilgrim and growled with malice "And now, I'll see to it that all children suffer for the failings of their ascendants". But then, even amidst a sea of rage, a smile crept onto his features as he finished, "And perhaps, that parents shall endure punishment though the loss of their child".

At last, Kringle had seen and heard enough from this truly evil and unreasonable demon. Without another words he turned to trudge his way towards the sleigh and climbed onto his rest. With reigns in hand, he looked down upon the dastardly fiend. "You truly are a monster, Krampus" he shouted, "Your stinking hide perfectly defines your tainted soul". Without another word, he swung his reigns in the air and the reindeer carried on, the sleigh travelling as quickly as possible to the town ahead.

Krampus was left behind, the cold air and the snowfall getting worse. He watched as the arrogant toymaker refused to see the truth of his efforts and continued to cling to his hopeless quest for the impossible.

"I am not the extent of evil in your world, Kringle" he muttered, gripping either side of his cloak and drawing them close. He pulled his hood over his misshapen head and continued his journey along the road, anticipating what ruthless punishments and inconsiderable discipline he would deal once he reached his goal.

"To believe so, you yourself would don that garb".


End file.
